1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to garden tools, and more particularly it relates to a single tool capable of performing a variety of tasks in the garden, including raking, hoeing, cultivating, thatching, weeding and aerating.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Tools to perform specific tasks in the garden are well known in the prior art. Rakes, comprising a plurality of straight or bent tines, can be used to remove dead grass and accumulated debris from between living grass plants (thatching) as well as for raking loose material from the surface (raking). Hoes, comprising a flat blade angled downward from the lower end of the handle, can be used for hoeing (weeding), and turning-over the soil (cultivating, aerating).
Various attempts have been made over the years to improve upon the basic design of both the rake and the hoe. See, for example, British Pat. No. 735,273 which discloses a hoe comprising a horizontal blade capable of swinging forward and back as the hoe is moved through the ground; U.S. Pat. No. 2,767,545 which discloses a combination cultivator and rake; U.S. Pat. No. 2,737,101 which discloses a cultivator including a plurality of fixed horizontal blades adapted to travel beneath the surface of the group to break up the soil; U.S. Pat. No. 2,597,954 which discloses a rake having both sharpened and blunt tines projecting from opposite sides of the tool; U.S. Pat. No. 1,632,883 which discloses an implement including tines projecting from one side and a hoe having a serrate edge projecting from the other; U.S. Pat. No. 1,182,153 which discloses a rake having swingable rake blades; U.S. Pat. No. 1,182,451 which discloses a rake including both raking tines and cutting blades for severing weeds; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,276,915 which discloses a rake having relatively wide teeth terminating in a beveled or sharpened end.